Automatic device for closing fireproof shutters.



PATENTED OCT. 31, 1906.

B. C. WASHBURN. AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR CLOSING FIREPROOF SHUTTERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.19. 1905.

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PATENTED 001'. 31, 1905.

, E. C. WASHBURN. AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR CLOSING PIREPROOF SHUTTERS.

APPLICATION FILED JANl9.1905.

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UNITED sTA Ej PAT ENT OFFICE.

EDWIN o. WASHBURN, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC DEVICE FIREPROOF SHUTTERS- Specification .of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed January 19. Serial No. 241,747.

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, EDWIN C. WAsHBURN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Devices for Closing Fireproof Shutters; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My present invention has for its object to provide improved means forautomatically closing fireproof shutters or doors, and especially thosewhich are located on the outside of a building, and are adapted to closethe windows thereof.

To the above ends the invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in theclaims.

In what I consider the best arrangment of the device the shutters aremounted on inclined tracks in such manner that when released they willbe moved by gravity and caused to automatically close the windows withwhich they cooperate. The shutter is normally held in an open positionby a detainer, so called, and the thermally-actuated device is arrangedto normally cause said detainer to hold said shutter in an openposition, but to release the same whenever the temperature in thevicinity of the shutter is raised above a predetermined point. The saidthermally actuated or released detainer should of course be arranged tohold the shutter under all variations in temperature due to climaticchanges, but should be arranged to release said shutter wheneverabnormally-high heat is produced by a near-by conflagration.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing a portion of one side of abuilding and illustrating my invention applied thereto, a portion of theshutter-supporting rail being broken away to more clearly show thelatchdog. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 00 00 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a detail in vertical section on the line 00 m of Fig. 1, andFig. 4 is a diagrammatic elevation showing a modified form of thedevice.

The numeral 1 indicates one wall of a building having, as shown, awindow 2. Secured I 5 Q to the outer face of the wall 1 and extendingbelow thepwindow and to one side thereof is an inclinedshutter-supporting track or rail 3, the ends of which are rigidlysecured to said wall by bolts, screws, or other suitable devices, andthe intermediate portion of which is offset slightly outward from saidwall.

The numeral 4 indicates a fireproof shutter, which at its lower portionhas depending brackets 55, equipped with grooved truckwheels 6, that runfreely upon the rail 3. At its upper end the shutter 4 is provided withgrooved lugs 7, that work loosely on the lower edge of an upper rail 8,the ends of which are rigidly secured to the wall 1, and theintermediate portion of which is oifset therefrom. This upper rail 8extends parallel to the body of the lower track-rail 3. In view of theinclination of the rail 3 the shutter 4 when released will by gravity becaused to automatically close or run into a closed position. (Indicatedby dotted lines in Fig. 1.) Normally, however, the shutter is held in anopen position (indicated by full lines in Figs. 1 and 2) by a detainerafforded by a dog or bell-cranklike lever 9, which is pivoted at 10 tothe wall 1, has a crooked or upturned free end that normally engages oneof the truck-wheels 6, and the other arm of which is rigidly held by ametallic bar 11, attached thereto at one end and to the wall 1 at itsother end. In the construction illustrated the bar 11 affords thethermally-actuated means for tripping the detainer 9 and releasing theshutter. As already indicated, the arrangement of the expansible bar 11and of the detainer 9 should be such that under all climatic or normalatmospheric changes the said detainer will hold the shutter vided at avery small cost for automatically closing fire-shutters on the exteriorof buildlngs.

In Fig. 4 a modified form of the expansible metallic actuating-bar isillustrated. The said bar 12 in this construction is of spiral form andat one end is anchored at 13 to a bearing- IIO plate 14, secured to thewall 1. At its free. end the bar 12 is provided with a reduced-stem 15,with a shoulder 16, and with a nut 17. The stem 15 works through aperforation in the depending arm of the dog 9, and the shoulder 16 bearsagainst the said arm. A coiled spring 18 is compressed between the nut17 and the depending arm of the dog9 and holds the said arm against thesaid shoulder 16 under normal conditions. By adjustments of the nut 17the tension of the spring 18 may be varied. Rigid on the bearing-plate14 is a plurality of pins or projections 19, that cause the spiral bar12 to maintain approximately the same spiral form under its contractingand expanding movements, and hence cause the free end thereof to movetransversely of the depending arm of the dog 9. Fig. 4 illustrates thenormal positions of the parts. It is evident that by pressing downwardon the free end of the dog 9 the spring 18 will be compressed withoutrequiring movement of the bar 12, and hence that the shutter 4 may bereleased at any time by this manipulation of the dog. The spring 18 mustof course have sufiicient tension to prevent accidental movements of theshutter. When the bar 12 is expanded by abnormal heat, its shoulder 16,acting on the dog 9, will of course automatically release the shutterand permit the same to close.

The term shutter is herein used in a broad sense to include a movableclosure for a wintrack in position to close andopen, when released, of apivoted retaining-dog, normally holding said shutter in an openposition, and an expansible metallic member, anchored at one end andoperating on said dog to release the same, and permit said shutter toclose, under abnormally-high temperature, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a wall 1, having an opening 2, of lower andupper inclined rails 3 and 8, respectively, secured to said wall, ashutter 4, guided at its upper end by said rail 8, and provided at itslower end with truckwheels, running on said rail 3, a detaining-dog 9pivotally supported from said wall and having a free end normallystanding in the'path of movement of said truck-wheels, and engaging onethereof, to hold said shutter open, and

an expansible metallic bar 11, anchored at one end to said wall, andattached at its other end' EDWIN o. WASHBURN.

Witnesses:

ROBERT C. MABEY, F. D. MERCHANT.

